Monday, August 22, 2016

We’ve officially made it through the “dog days” of summer, those days when it’s so sultry that even remembering the word lethargy seems to take too much effort. On a few of those steamy days, I read mysteries especially when the humidity level in our non-air-conditioned cottage threatened to exceed the temperature. The last few days have brought cool weather and gentle rains that beg for a good book and a screened-in porch. If you’re going on vacation, getting away for a weekend, or just placing a folding chaise longue in your back yard, these titles will be sure to please.

*Brighton by Michael Harvey follows Kevin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for the Boston Globe, who returns to Brighton, the violent Boston suburb where he grew up, when several murders seem connected to his past. Kevin hasn’t been back since he unexpectedly left at age fifteen and his colorful family including his sister Bridget and his murdered grandmother haunt his return. It seems almost certain that Kevin’s childhood best friend, Bobby is involved in the deaths, yet his viewpoint is captivating. Each character in this exceptional novel brings a perspective that makes the reader unsure not just about how the book will end, but also about whether to root for probable villains. The language is clear, precise, and spine-tinglingly honest. Fans of Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River or the movie The Departed will love this. It’s fabulous! GPR

*A
Great Reckoning by
Louise Penny doesn’t come out until next Tuesday, August
31, but it’s so good that you must buy it so you can enjoy it over Labor Day weekend.
This is Penny’s twelfth Inspector Gamache novel and as always it offers suspense,
evil, and a shimmering glimpse of hope. Gamache has taken the job as commander
of the Sureté Academy where he hopes to root out police corruption from the
beginning through the minds of trainees. However, he inexplicably keeps on Leduc,
the most corrupt faculty member, and brings in his nemesis, Michel Brébeuf,
hoping to teach the cadets to think for themselves. When Leduc is murdered and
a map from Gamache’s village is an integral clue, Gamache realizes that the rot
from within is even stronger than expected. GPR/SF

*The Whites by Richard Price writing as Harry Brandtis a book I’d avoided until author Anne Patchett and a
friend recommended it. I found Price’s earlier Clockers and Lush Life exceptional
yet so gritty and harsh that I wasn’t sure I was ready for more. His first
attempt at writing as Harry Brandt is a surefire winner and is both intelligent
and accessible. Since policeman Billy Graves mistakenly killed a kid, he’s been
on the graveyard shift where he patrols in relative obscurity. Once a vigilante
threatens the city, Billy and other cops try to figure out who’s terrorizing
the city. Revealing the subsequent twists and turns might spoil the intrigue. If
you’re looking for a compelling thriller, this is it. GPR (2015)

Behind
Closed Doors by
B.A. Paris is a British psychological thriller that readers may want
to finish in one sitting. Grace and Jack Angel seem like the perfect couple,
but Jack, the ostensibly compassionate defender of battered wives, is really a
psychopath who trapped Grace in their home and is using threats against her sister
Millie who has Down syndrome to keep Grace in line. As readers ponder whether
Grace will escape, the pacing isn’t consistent, but the plot and ending are
clever and engaging. Gone Girl fans
should relish this one. CC

The
Cold Dish by
Craig Johnson is the first book in the Walt Longmire series
now also seen as Longmire on Netflix.
Set in a quiet Wyoming town that resembles the settings of Kent Haruf’s novels,
Sheriff Longmire has only a short time left until he retires, when two of the
four “boys” who brutally raped a mentally disabled Cheyenne girl are murdered.
Longmire and his best friend and fellow Viet Nam veteran, Henry Standing Bear,
uncover clues that may lead to things they’d rather not discover. Exceptional
minor characters and the complexities of living in a unique community make this
reader happy that there are several more books in the series. This debut offers
entertainment, intrigue, and wry humor. GPR (2005)

Baby
Doll by
Hollie Overton has a similar plot to Emma Donoghue’s
brilliant novel, The Room, but Baby
Doll opens when Lilly Riser escapes captivity with Sky, her child born during
the eight years her captor, Rick, held her in an isolated cabin. Kidnapped when
she was sixteen, Lilly now confronts the impact of the crime on her family and
what she must do to make a life for herself and her daughter and reconnect with
her twin sister. The evil teacher who kidnapped her is somewhat stereotypical
as are other characters, but this debut page-turner is made for the beach, pool, or
long plane ride. CC

About Me - Trina Hayes

Connecting people with books they'll love is what I do. I lead three book clubs and participate in another. I speak about books to library, university, social and civic groups and I'd love to speak to your gathering. My annual book list of the more than 100 books I read and review every year comes out every November. Find past lists on the pages listed below. Because I'm always hungry for good books, I categorize the books on the lists and on my posts by food groups as explained in the review categories listed below.

Contact me with questions or about hiring me to speak at trinabookhungry@gmail.com or by posting a comment on one of my reviews.